Spirit level



April 1953' s. T. ROBERTS 2,634,509

SPIRIT LEVEL Filed March 26, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 L -1- l -4- I 1 2 I IFIG. 4

FIG.

INVENTOR. SINCLAIR T. ROBERTS ATTORNEY.

S. T ROBERTS SPIRIT LEVEL 2 :SHEETSSHEET 2 INVENTOR. SINCLAIR T. ROBERTSaileazfi ATTORN EY.

April 14, 1953 Filed March 26, 1952 Patented Apr. 14, 1953 UNIIEDSTATES. PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims;

This invention relates to spirit levels used" by' carpenters, masons,and other mechanics; for determining whether a particular element of abuilding or other structure is level, plumb, or" in some instances, on a45 slope.

More specifically considered, this inventionrelates to. spirit-levels ofthe type utilizing a plurality of bubble cells for the aforesaidpurpose-.-

Still. more specifically considered, the presentinvention relates to.the provision of a novel form. of bubble. cell, and theLmanner ofmounting the-same in. the stockor. body of the level.

The. principal object of the. present. invention isto provide a spiritlevelof a. novel. construction whereby the parts may be. quickly and.readily,

assembled: inthe making. of the same,v and in. which the necessity foradjustment of the bubblev cell and the use of plaster mountings of thecells:

are eliminated.

A further object of the presentinvention isto provide aspirit level ofthe character aforesaid, which will be relatively inexpensive. in itsconstruction yet. reasonably accurate for its intended purpose.

The nature and characteristic features of the present invention will bemore readily understood from the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings formingv part hereof,v inwhich:

Figure l is a side elevation of 'a spirit level em.- bodying'the mainfeatures of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section thereof. taken on the line 2-2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section, enlarged, taken.

on the line 3-3.of Fig. 1;

Fig; 4' is a fragmentary longitudinal section.

taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3;. I

Fig; 5 is a fragmentary view, partly in perspectiveand partly insection, of certain of the parts of the structure separated from eachother;

Fig. 6 is a view similar of Fig. 1, of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 7 isa longitudinal section taken on the line 1-4 of Fig. 6;

Fig; 8 is a transverse section, enlarged, taken on the line 8-8 of Fig.7; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 5, but illustrating Referring now more,particularly to Figs. 1. to

5 of the drawings, asthere shown,.the stock or body of the level is,made of two-similar parts I10,

joined to each other in. any preferred manner, and provided with meansfor mounting. the bubble cells in a novel. manner to be presentlydescribed. The stock or body of the level is providedwiththe. usualparallel working surfaces LL. The parts Ill. are preferably made ofmetal, and when. lightness is desired, the metal, employed may be one ofthe available alloys of. aluminum, magnesium, or the like.

The parts. it, constituting thewstockor body of the level,. arepreferably hollow. to provide face. walls H2. The face walls l-2 may be;supported interiorly by blocks [3,, made of woodor other suitable.material which will effectively serve to. prevent deformation of saidface walls. [2;

Theface walls I2 are each provided, at suitable... locations, withoctagonal apertures. 14 for mounting and positioning the bubble cellstherein.

The bubble cells are preferably made. in twoparts I5, each identicalwith the other, of transparent material such, for example, as one of theAt the end of the central liquidcavity in. each.

of the parts I5 of each bubblecell there. is pro.- vided an aperture l9which. aperturesareadapb ed to be closed by plugs Zll, one of said.plugs. 2-0 being initially cemented or otherwise. secured in place.

is left open for that purpose, after which. the. plug 20 for thataperture is secured or cement.- ed in place to confine. the liquid [8 inthe cavity in the bubble cell.

On each side face of each part i 5 of the bubble cell there is provideda boss. 2.1 of. semi-octagonal shape, the arrangement being such thatwhen; the two parts l5 of the bubble cell are united andsecured to eachother, each side face of the assembled bubble cell is thereby-providedwith an octagonal bosscomplemental to and adapted" to fit in one of theoctagonal aperturesl4 in the side face walls ll of the stockor body ofthelevel.

Each of the parts I5 of the bubble: cell-mayalso be providedwith a pairofiaperturesazzs exetending parallel to the ax'isofi the-liquid cavityThe. liquid [8 whichprovides the bubble is introduced through the.aperture l9 which.

in the center of the assembled bubble cell, which are adapted to assistin the register of the parts of the bubble cell when they are beingsecured or united to each other, and these apertures 22 will also serveto reduce the weight of the bubble cell.

It will be noted that each of the bubble cells when completed issubstantially similar to each of the other completed bubble cells, andthat the same are of such character that they may be inexpensivelymanufactured, and also that the same may be readily and easily mountedin the stock or body portion of the level in each of three positions forrespectively indicating levels;

plumbs and 45 inclines as the bubble cells are mounted in the octagonalapertures i i in the face walls I2 of the stock or body of the level.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 6 to 9 of the drawings, thereis therein shown a modifled form of the level utilizing the principlesof the present invention, and also employing a bubble cell of a somewhatdifferent construction and arrangement.

In this form of the invention the body ic of the level is made of asolid block of material such as wood, either solid or laminated, or itmay be made of certain of the plastics which are now available and whichmay be found to be suitable for this purpose.

In this form of the invention the body w is also provided with theworking surfaces i and the body is provided with three bores 53extending therethrough from side to side, and in each of which a bubblecell is located, the side walls for the chambers provided by the boresI3 in the body, are provided on each face by means of a metal plate 2which may be secured to the body se by means of nails 12*, or othersuitable fasteners. Each of the metal plates I2 is provided withoctagonal shaped apertures [4 registering with the bores [3 in the body.

Also in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive, there is shown a somewhat differentconstruction of the bubble cells in that the two parts Hi thereof areinitially molded to be joined with their abutting faces l'l parallel tothe longitudinal axis of the liquid cavity i6, and in this instance eachof the parts [5 of the bubble cell assembly is provided with a'completeoctagonal boss 2i on its outer face which is complemental to and adaptedto fit in one of the octagonal apertures l t in the metal plates l2which are'secured on the side faces of the body of the level.

The parts I 5 of the bubble cell in this instance are each provided, inthe walls at each end of the liquid cavity 6 with semi-circulardepressions l9 thereby to provide, at each end a circular opening closedby a plug 213 it, of course, being understood that the bubble liquid isintroduced into the cavity lfi prior to the cementing of one of theplugs 243* in place.

I claim:

1. A spirit level comprising a body provided with parallel workingsurfaces, and a plurality of bubble cells mounted therein, said bubblecells each having an internal barrel shaped cavity for the bubble liquidand each having external octagonal portions, the body of the level beingprovided for each bubble cell with portions having at least two opposedparallel side faces engaged by the octagonal portions of the bubble withparallel working surfaces, said body having internal chambers and sideface walls, said side face walls having a plurality of octagonalapertures, and bubble cells located in the internal chambers of the bodyportion, said bubble cells each having an internal cavity for the bubbleliquid and each having octagonal portions complemental to the octagonalapertures in the side face walls of the body for positioning the bubblecells with their bubble cavities in desired axial relationship to theworking faces of the body.

4. A spirit level comprising a body provided with parallel workingsurfaces, said body having internal chambers and side face walls, saidside face walls having a plurality of octagonal apertures, and bubblecells located in the internal chambers of the body, said bubble cellseach having an internal barrel shaped cavity for the bubble liquid andeach having octagonal bosses on its side faces complemental to theoctagonal apertures in the face walls of the body for positioning thebubble cells with their bubble cavities in desired axial relationship tothe working faces of the body.

5. A spirit level comprising a body provided with parallel workingsurfaces, said body being made of two hollow parts thereby to providein- V ternal chambers and side face walls, said side face walls having aplurality of octagonal apertures, and bubble cells located in theinternal chambers of the body, said bubble cells each having an internalbarrel shaped cavity for the bubble liquid and each having octagonalbosses on its side faces complernental to the octagonal apertures in theface walls of the body for posit onrng the bubble cells with theirbubble cavities in desired axial relationship to the Working faces ofthe body.

6. A spirit level comprising a body provided with parallel workingsurfaces, said body being made of a block of material having internalchambers formed therein, and plates mounted thereon to provide facewalls for said chambers, said face walls having a plurality of octagonalapertures, and bubble cells located in the internal chambers of thebody, said bubble cells each having an internal barrel shaped cavity forthe bubble liquid and each having octagonal bosses on its side'facescomplemental to the octagonal apertures in the face walls of the bodyfor positioning the bubble cells with their bubble cavities in desiredaxial relationship to the working faces of the body.

SINCLAIR 'r. ROBERTS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date I 334,052 Thayer et al Jan. 12, 188 2,568,143 Casper Sept. 18,1951

